Two Utica Community Schools administrators selected for prestigious Gerstacker Fellowship

Utica Community Schools administrators Laurie Pritchard, principal of Jack Harvey Elementary School, and Christian Mueller, Jeannette Junior High School assistant principal, are among eleven outstanding Michigan educators selected for the 2015 Gerstacker Fellowship at Saginaw Valley State University.

Pritchard and Mueller are the only awardees from Macomb County. Fellowship selection is based on past academic and service accomplishments, along with nomination by a supervisor and outside recommendations.

“Ms. Pritchard and Mr. Mueller are highly deserving of this fellowship award,” said UCS superintendent Dr. Christine Johns. “Both are exceptional educators and school leaders. Students across our district will benefit from the knowledge and experiences they will gain and share with their colleagues.”

As Gerstacker fellows, the UCS educators will meet with SVSU faculty for a year of concentrated leadership training in areas such as organizational leadership, ethics, finance, communication, human resource, entrepreneurship and education with a global perspective.

The fellowship includes a capstone international experience that will take Pritchard and Mueller to Poland this April. This trip will involve visits to educational institutions to learn about international systems and corporate settings and how leadership works in different cultural and economic systems. Previous fellowship destinations included Finland, China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Christian Mueller commented, “This is an incredible opportunity to learn from the instructors and fellowship members. I look forward to seeing how other nations maximize resources to educate their students and overcome barriers. I hope to expand my knowledge and add value to my role as an educational leader in my school and district.”

Laurie Pritchard said she is honored to be part of this dynamic group of Michigan educators and thrilled at the opportunity to expand her professional knowledge on an international level. “I cannot wait to learn about the educational systems in Europe and bring back creative ideas to support the excellent programs we provide our students in UCS,” she said.

The program was established in 2005 and funded by an endowment from the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation of Midland (MI).